Trump Revokes Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding! BASF TDI Unit to Undergo Maintenance; Avient Launches New Recycled Grades

International News Guide:

Raw Material News: Trump Announces EPA Officially Revokes “Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding”

Building Materials News: MIT Breakthrough: 3D-Printed Recycled Plastic Floor Trusses Support Over 4,000 Pounds

Packaging News: South Korea Proposes Revisions to Food Contact Material Standards

Macroeconomic News: EU Plans to Encourage Pan-European M&A to Improve Approval Chances

Price Information: CNY/USD Central Parity Rate Quoted at 6.9398, Up 59 Pips

Detailed International News:

1. Trump Announces EPA Officially Revokes “Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding”

U.S. President Trump announced on February 12 local time that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had officially revoked the 2009 “Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding.”

Trump stated that the EPA had abolished the foundation of U.S. climate regulation, a move that would save $1.3 trillion in regulatory costs and help reduce vehicle prices.

The order, known as the “Endangerment Finding,” was issued in 2009 under then-President Obama. It concluded that greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, power plants, factories and other sources contribute to climate change and may pose risks to public health and welfare.

This finding had been the cornerstone of U.S. greenhouse gas emission policies. Its repeal invalidates the legal basis for U.S. greenhouse gas regulation, marking a major rollback of climate policy under the Trump administration.

2. South Korea Proposes Revisions to Food Contact Material Standards

Recently, South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) issued Announcements No. 2026-008 and No. 2026-009, proposing revisions to the national standards for food contact materials, Standards and Specifications for Food Utensils, Containers and Packaging.

The draft revisions are open for public comment until March 9, 2026, and relevant companies may submit feedback before the deadline.

Regarding the newly introduced standards for infant and young children’s rubber products and the adjusted migration limits for DEHP and DEHA in PVC, REACH24H advises related enterprises to prepare in advance to ensure compliance with the revised safety requirements.

Companies planning to apply for certification of physically recycled PP should establish a closed-loop recycling system and complete standard operating procedures (SOP) and process validation documents to meet certification requirements.

3. Inteplast Acquires STA to Strengthen Custom Coating Capabilities

Inteplast Group, a manufacturer of integrated plastic and paper products, announced the acquisition of STA LLC.

The company will be renamed STA Coated Technologies and join the BOPP Films business unit of Inteplast’s AmTopp division, expanding the group’s custom coating capabilities.

BOPP Films operates four production sites in the U.S. and Canada: Greer, South Carolina; Lolita, Texas; Morristown, Tennessee; and Lanoraie, Quebec.

4. MIT Breakthrough: 3D-Printed Recycled Plastic Floor Trusses Support Over 4,000 Pounds

An innovative engineering team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently announced a major breakthrough in sustainable construction: the successful development of a floor truss system 3D-printed from recycled plastic.

Its load-bearing capacity exceeds U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards by more than 40%, marking a key step toward low-cost, eco-friendly housing solutions.

According to research published by MIT’s HAUS (Homebuilding Universal Sustainability) team in an academic journal earlier this month, the team designed and tested a new 3D-printed floor truss system made entirely from “dirty” recycled plastic without washing or pre-treatment, combined with glass fiber reinforcement.

It is produced in one piece using industrial-scale Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM) equipment, achieving high-strength structural integration without additional connectors.

5. BASF Transforms Global Business Services, Consolidates Finance and HR in India

BASF is transforming its global business services organization to ensure long-term cost competitiveness, resilience and reliable service delivery for its global operations through the next phase of optimization.

To better align with business needs and significantly improve cost efficiency, the global business services unit plans to establish a new global hub in India, consolidating finance and human resources services. Supply chain-related services will be integrated into the existing hub in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Business activities that must remain close to operations will continue to be carried out regionally or locally.

This move is part of a broader transformation strategy aimed at building an integrated service portfolio, driving standardization and automation more efficiently, and leveraging locations with significant cost advantages.

6. Avient Launches High-Performance Impact-Modified Recycled Nylon Series

Avient announced an expansion of its Nymax™ REC recycled nylon portfolio with the launch of the Nymax™ REC 6000 high-impact series.

This series consists of impact-modified recycled nylon products designed for manufacturers seeking sustainable, high-performance materials.

The new product line includes 22 grades, delivering performance comparable to virgin nylon while helping customers achieve circular economy goals and reduce product carbon footprints (PCF).

7. BASF South Korea TDI Unit Maintenance Plan

Market sources reported that BASF’s TDI plant in South Korea will undergo scheduled maintenance from February 25 to March 15, 2026.

The unit has an annual production capacity of approximately 160,000 tons.

Overseas Macro Market:

Poll Shows More View U.S. as a Threat, Sharpest Rise in Canada

According to the Financial Times on February 12, U.S.-based consultancy Kekst CNC conducted a poll of over 10,000 people across G7 members and emerging economies including Brazil, India and South Africa to collect data for the Munich Security Index.

Results showed a net decline in the number of people viewing the U.S. as an ally in nearly all surveyed countries. Canada recorded the largest increase in citizens viewing the U.S. as a threat.

EU Sees Diversification Strategy to Reduce External Dependencies

European Council President Costa said on February 12 that the EU prioritizes investment and innovation and will reduce external dependencies in defense, aerospace and other fields through a diversification strategy.

An informal meeting of EU leaders was held in Belgium the same day, with a proposal to accelerate progress toward the goal of “One Europe, One Market.”

Report: US Considering Partial Rollback of Aluminum and Steel Tariffs

The Financial Times reported that the Trump administration is planning to reduce tariffs on some steel and aluminum products. The administration is reviewing the list of products subject to tariffs, planning to exempt certain goods and halt further expansion of the list.

U.S. Government Secretly Sent Starlink Terminals Into Iran: Report

The Wall Street Journal reported on February 11 that during the unrest in Iran in January, the U.S. government secretly sent about 6,000 Starlink terminals into Iran to help protesters maintain communications.

EU Plans to Encourage Pan-European M&A to Improve Approval Chances

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that European companies seeking to expand scale through mergers and acquisitions to better compete with non-EU rivals may have a higher chance of gaining regulatory approval if deals are pursued on a pan-European basis.

RMB Hits Three-Year High; Analysts Warn Against Blind Betting on Exchange Rate

Onshore and offshore RMB/USD both broke above the 6.90 threshold on February 12, hitting a high since April 2023.

Industry analysts warned that the RMB exchange rate remains highly uncertain, and companies and financial institutions should avoid blindly following trends or betting on rate movements.

Trump: U.S. “Must” Reach Deal with Iran, or Situation Will Be “Very Serious”

On February 12, U.S. President Trump said the U.S. “must” reach a deal with Iran, otherwise the situation would become “very serious.”

Price Information:

CNY/USD central parity rate was quoted at 6.9398, up 59 pips. Previous trading day central parity: 6.9457; official close: 6.9016; overnight close: 6.9033.

Upstream Raw Materials – USD Market Prices

Ethylene CFR Northeast Asia: $695/mt (down $5/mt)

Ethylene CFR Southeast Asia: $680/mt (stable)

Propylene Northeast Asia FOB South Korea: $790/mt (stable)

Propylene CFR China: $835/mt (stable)

North Asia Refrigerated Cargo CIF: Propane $568–570/mt; Butane $588–590/mt

South China Refrigerated Cargo CIF (Early March): Propane $599–609/mt; Butane $594–604/mt

Taiwan Region Refrigerated Cargo CIF: Propane $568–570/mt; Butane $588–590/mt

LLDPE USD Market Prices

Film grade: $830/mt (CFR Xiamen)

Injection grade: $910/mt (CFR Xiamen)

HDPE USD Market Prices

Film grade: $910/mt (CFR Huangpu)

Injection grade: $800/mt (CFR Huangpu)

Blow grade: $850/mt (CFR Huangpu)

Pipe grade: $1,000/mt (CFR Huangpu)

LDPE USD Market Prices

Film grade: $1,035/mt (CFR Huangpu)

Coating grade: $1,240/mt (CFR Huangpu)

PP USD Market Prices

Injection grade: $830/mt (CFR Dongguan)

Copolymer grade: $890/mt (CFR Nansha)

Film grade: $980/mt (CFR Huangpu)

Transparent grade: $1,075/mt (CFR Huangpu)

Pipe grade: $1,130/mt (CFR Shanghai)